Durham, NC - This football season, Blue Devil fans in Wallace Wade Stadium will be able to do more than just cheer on Duke.

They’ll help the campus community tackle its carbon footprint, too.

Beginning this season, Duke will work toward making football game days a “zero waste” event by encouraging fans to recycle and compost waste. Special zero waste stations will be set up throughout the Wallace Wade Stadium concourse and Blue Devil Alley, while bag stations will be made available in parking lots for fans to pick up bags for trash, recyclables and materials for composting.

“As Duke expands its waste reduction efforts with events such as the waste-free first-year picnic and piloting composting in several buildings on campus, including waste-free football was a logical next step,” said Tavey Capps, Duke’s director of sustainability. “It aligns with broad goals on campus and offers an opportunity for Athletics to pursue excellence on-and-off the field.”

The efforts will take place for all seven of Duke’s home games, starting with the Aug. 30 home opener against Elon University. The goal is to divert 90 percent of compost and recyclable material from trash, which would allow Duke to become the first ACC school to reach the “zero waste” mark, according to national guidelines.